Writing about and photographing my family's adventures in the great outdoors of Northwest Pennsylvania.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Rolling with the punches

Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. At least that is how the last week and a half has felt. We had all gone camping the weekend of the 10th, and had plans to take my Dad's camper the weekend of the 17th. Shortly before the first campout there was an "issue" that came up with Jen's schedule at work. The resolution to that issue, revised her schedule for the foreseeable future making spontaneous camping trips a near impossibility. Did we get mad? Maybe a little at first, but what can we really do about it? Should we stay mad and ruin the times we do have, or roll with it and make the best decision you can, with the information at hand.

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You roll with it and move on. And what a great lesson this is for our boys, too. In life we take time to plan, and hope for the future, but the future is a moving target. Our plans keep us as close as possible to the target, but you just never know what may come around the corner and force your plans to change. ﻿

Or do kids end up teaching this lesson to their parents? Look at the fun those two crazy monkeys are having playing in the rain, in the photo above. We had talked about and prepped for this camping trips for weeks and weeks in advance. Jen and I saw the long range forecast and the chance of rain Friday night, our first night in camp. The boys weren't interested in the weather forecast, they wanted to go to camp.

Just as we finished unloading the Jeep at camp the rain started in, and what did the boys do? They didn't mope around feeling sorry for themselves because it's camping on their weekend at camp. They played in it!

They took turns running from the porch to the big Cherry tree in the yard. They stood under the downspout and felt the water hit their heads. They used a fly swatter to bat at the water while it fell from the downspout. Our boys rolled with the punches, and isn't that the best lesson they could ever teach us?

Let me know what lessons a child has taught you in the comments. I'd love to read about it.